Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Garlic Sauce

Eggplant is not often combined with milk or cream sauces, but the combination is quite good—the flavors deep and rich. Like the Macaroni and Cheese, this baked dish has three parts—the pasta, the sauce, and the eggplant. The eggplant can be cut and salted first; then the sauce, which includes a half-head of pounded garlic, should be started as it needs time for the garlic to cook. The pasta can be cooked and drained at any point. When everything is finally combined, the casserole can be bak